Developing a novel antibacterial coating system for marine corrosion and fouling control

Microbial-influenced corrosion and marine biofouling have become a thorny problem restricting the effective long-term operation of marine engineering. In this study, a novel antibacterial coating system for marine corrosion and fouling control was developed to integrate and improve the antibacterial performance. The coating system was composed of an epoxy primer and a low surface energy organosilicon/polyurethane topcoat, while quaternary ammonium salt (QAS) was added as an antimicrobial agent. The primer provided excellent corrosion protection. The antifouling performance was significantly improved by the combined effect of low surface energy and antibacterial agents, resulting in an extended service life and enhanced environmental sustainability of the coating system. Furthermore, the satisfactory results of the above coating system were confirmed by 8 weeks of hanging tests in the ocean, which exhibited potential application prospects in marine engineering in the future. [Display omitted] •A novel anticorrosion and antifouling coating system was developed to integrate and improve the antimicrobial properties.•The primer showed excellent anticorrosion performance and 98 % bactericidal rate.•The topcoat exhibited a high water contact angle and a significant antibacterial efficacy up to 99 % bactericidal rate.•The coating system demonstrated outstanding performance after 8 weeks hanging test in the ocean.